


If I Can't Change Your Mind

by angelus2hot



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Community: rarepairfest, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 01:25:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2005677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelus2hot/pseuds/angelus2hot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is one thing Damon wants from Alaric and it's the one thing he can't and won't do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If I Can't Change Your Mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [semele](https://archiveofourown.org/users/semele/gifts).



> **Title:** If I Can't Change Your Mind  
>  **Fandom:** The Vampire Diaries  
>  **Characters/Pairing:** Damon Salvatore/Alaric Saltzman  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Word Count:** 2,015  
>  **Summary:** There is one thing Damon wants from Alaric and it's the one thing he can't and won't do.  
>  **A/N:** written for semele for rarepairfest 2014. I hope you like it.

Alaric leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands across his chest. His thoughts were a chaotic mess. And every single one of them was about Damon. 

He had come to Mystic Falls with the express purpose of killing Damon. Simple. Nothing more and nothing less. But instead, after getting to know Damon, killing him was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Just the thought of Damon hurt or no longer in the world was a physical ache inside of him. How the hell had his life gotten so complicated? And why couldn’t he just talk to Damon? 

One would think he would be able to tell Damon how he felt. After all as a history teacher he was used to dealing with things that could make one writhe in an agony of embarrassment and shame. But apparently, he was too much of a coward to go after what he really wanted. Instead, he kept waiting for things to fall into place; his work, his life, but especially Damon. When would he get tired of waiting and take matters into his own hands?

His snort of derision echoed around his empty classroom as he shook his head. It didn’t do any good to think about or want things he shouldn’t. Especially when he didn’t have the balls to do something about it. He gave a loud groan as the legs of the chair hit the floor with a thud. He had work to finish up before he went home. Alone.

 

Goosebumps broke out on the back of his neck as shivers danced down his spine. He didn’t bother to turn around, he didn’t have to; he knew Damon stood in the doorway and was watching him as he wrote out the assignments on the blackboard. “I know you’re there, Damon.”

A grin began to slowly spread across Damon’s face. “I know you do, Ric.”

Even as he fought back a groan at the sensual promise buried in Damon’s tone, an answering smile curled Alaric’s lips. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

_Pleasure_ It wasn’t just the word but the husky way it had dripped from Alaric’s lips that had caused sparks of desire to shoot straight through his body and into his groin and he almost groaned out loud. Of course Damon knew Alaric hadn’t meant anything by it but he couldn’t help the thrill that had curled inside of him, hoping against hope maybe, just maybe, one day Alaric would want...

“Damon?”

The sound of Alaric calling his name jerked him out of his reverie. “What?”

“Didn’t you hear what I’d said?”

 _What had he missed?_ He shook his head. What else could he do? It wasn’t as if he could tell him the truth. He couldn’t admit he had been too busy fantasizing to pay attention to the rest of what Alaric had said. At least not yet. “No. Sorry. I had something else on my mind.”

Alaric didn’t doubt it for a moment. _It was probably some hot young thing with blonde hair and huge..._ He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It really didn’t surprise him in the least that Damon wasn’t paying him any attention. “I said what do I owe the...”

 _He had heard that part!_ “I thought we could go for a drink.” Damon almost shouted in his rush to interrupt. There was no way he would be able to stand hearing the word pleasure coming from Alaric without giving into the dark desire dwelling deep inside of him to kiss the man standing in front of him. 

Alaric nodded. A drink was exactly what he needed.

 

 

Alaric swirled the contents of his glass before he tossed his head back and downed the shot of liquor in one gulp. He placed the glass on the bar before he turned his head toward Damon. He took a deep breath before he began to speak. “You’re not a good guy, Damon. As a matter of fact you’re a dick most of the time. But I see something in you. Something that makes me...” He bit off the rest of what he was about to say as he leaned his head to the side and studied Damon’s face. “Why is that?”

Damon shrugged, a hint of a smile on his face. “My charming smile and winning personality?”

Laughter erupted from deep within his chest, startling the other customers sitting at the tables around them. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not it.”

“Then what do you think it is?” Damon circled the glass rim with his finger as he stared at Alaric, waiting for his answer.

“Damned if I know.” A small smile played at the corners of Alaric’s mouth. “All I do know is that I like you.” The words slipped out before he could recall them. He blamed it on the liquor.

“You like me?” Damon blinked in confusion. What the hell did that mean? Did Alaric like him or did he _like_ him? “Really?”

Slowly, as if he were in shock from his admission, Alaric nodded before he ducked his head. “I more than like you... a lot.” The last was uttered so soft and low it was almost too hard to hear but not for Damon.

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. There was no way he had heard Alaric right. It just wasn't possible. _Was it?_ “How much more is a lot?”

A red flush began to creep up the back of Alaric’s neck before slowly sliding up to encompass his ears. He couldn’t believe Damon had heard him. It was all he could do not to smack himself in the forehead. Of course he had heard him. How could he not? Damon was a vampire. Alaric couldn’t help but wonder if he had secretly wanted it to happen. Wanted Damon to know how he felt without having to say it loud enough to be responsible for it. Either way, he should have known Damon wouldn’t let him get away with it.

“Ric.”

He rubbed his hand over his eyes. “What?” Maybe if he played dumb and didn’t answer they could just pretend he had never said anything. 

Damon narrowed his eyes as he growled low in his throat. “Don’t play games with me.” 

A loud sigh escaped him. “What do you want me to say, Damon?”

“The truth would be a good place to start.” The irony of that statement wasn’t lost on Damon. He would be the first one to admit he had danced around the truth a time or two himself. But not now. Not when it was something this important. He needed an answer and he needed it now. His world, his very existence hung in the balance.

Alaric looked down at the empty glass in front of him. _What he wouldn’t give for another drink._ He closed his eyes for a moment before he took a deep breath. Alaric opened his eyes to see Damon staring intently at him. At the expectant look on Damon’s face the words fell from his lips before he could stop them. “I care about you, Damon. A lot more than I should.”

Even though Alaric hadn’t mentioned the word love Damon knew an admission when he heard one. A slow smile began to spread across his face, shining in his eyes. _It was about damn time!_

Without a word Damon stood, grabbed Alaric’s hand and began to pull him towards the door. There were a lot of things they needed to discuss, and words were needed to be said in return but he wasn’t about to do it in a bar for public consumption. They needed to be alone. Now.

 

 

Three months. A grand total of ninety-one days, or two thousand thirty-two hours had passed since Alaric’s admission that day inside the Mystic Grill. And it had been the best time of his life. Alaric grounded him, made him see things differently. He made him want to be a better man. 

He swallowed hard as he scooted up in the bed and leaned the back of his head against the headboard. If only he would stop having nightmares about loosing Alaric, life would be perfect.

Alaric rolled over. “Damon?”

 _Damn it!_ He hadn’t wanted to wake Alaric. “Shh. It’s okay. Go back to sleep.”

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up. “Was it another nightmare?”

Damon’s hair fell across his forehead as he nodded his head.

Enough was enough. There had to be some way to get through to the stubborn vampire in his bed. Since they had gotten together Damon had had nightmares every night. It was almost enough to give him a serious complex. “Okay, tell me. What was this one about?” Although he had a pretty good idea. All of the nightmares usually were some variation of the same theme.

“You died.” Damon wasn’t one to beat around the bush. “If you would just let me...”

A loud frustrated sigh escaped him. _Not this again._ “We’ve talked about all this before, Damon. I’m human and I’m going to stay that way.”

“I know. It’s just that I...” How could he tell Alaric, he was the only thing that made his life worth living? Without him he would be nothing, an empty shell with the best parts of himself gone.

Alaric shook his head. “I don’t want to be turned into a vampire.” He spoke each word slowly and carefully. “Not even if it means I get to stay with you forever.”

“You could, you know.” At the look of confusion on Alaric’s face Damon quickly added, “You could stay with me forever. It’s simple. And it would solve all our problems.”

A cold chill slid down his spine. “You think my humanity is a problem?”

“No!” Damon slid his hand through his hair. “Your humanity isn’t a problem. But your dying is.”

“Damon, I...”

Damon quickly interrupted. “Just think if I turned you into a vampire....” At the look on Alaric’s face his words trailed off into nothingness. Damon’s lips curved into a pout. “Why do you want to leave me?”

Alaric’s eyes rounded with shock. _How could Damon think such a thing?_ “I don’t.”

“Yes you do. You want to die.”

He shook his head, sadly. “I don’t want to die, Damon. Hell, I don’t know anyone who does. But...” His voice was husky with regret of things he couldn’t and wouldn’t change not even for the love of his life. “That’s how it’s supposed to be, Damon. Humans die.”

“Well, it sucks.” 

Alaric couldn’t help but smile at Damon’s tone. “Be that as it may, Damon. I don’t want to be a vampire.” He repeated the phrase. “Ever. No matter what happens.” He slid back down into the bed. It was his way of letting Damon know the subject was closed.

Unable to let the subject drop, Damon couldn’t stop himself from whispering, “Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” Damon ran his fingers through Alaric’s hair. “I can be very persuasive when I put my mind to it.”

A groan escaped Alaric as his lips curled into an unwilling smile. “I know you can be but the answer is still no, Damon.”

Slowly, and with great reluctance Damon nodded. What else could he do? It wasn’t as if either of them was getting anywhere with the conversation. 

Even though his thoughts were still in turmoil Damon slipped back under the covers and pulled Alaric into his arms. The thought of losing Alaric wasn’t something he could stand. And he wasn’t sure if faced with the possibility that he wouldn’t do everything in his power to keep Alaric with him no matter the consequences. Damon parted his lips in a silent sigh. He would just have to make sure nothing bad ever happened to Alaric where he would have to make the choice on whether to follow Alaric’s wishes or not. 

With that somewhat comforting thought, Damon tightened his arms around Alaric, closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
